After
by OtherCharacter83-93
Summary: Sorry with the summary, I can't think up of one for it. Set in season 2 of Strike Witches, I'll try to stick within canon, but their might be some bending. Minna/OC. Please R&R.
1. Victoria

After

_Let go of everything you fear to lose, you must. –Yoda _

**Disclaimer: All rights to the name "Strike Witches" belongs solely to Humikane Shimada, anything else belongs to their respective owners. I do not profit from writing this story whatsoever.**

-1-

A man with dirty blonde hair and dark blue eyes sat alone in the officer's lounge as he began to read a letter from a friend with the warm Indian Ocean breeze coming through the open window. It was a Sunday morning; everyone else was most likely sleeping in.

* * *

_February 1, 1945_

_To: Flight Lieutenant Conrad Welter_

_From: Flight Lieutenant Gertrud Barkhorn_

_Dear Conrad,_

_Merry Christmas! I know, it's late, but I haven't had many chances to write back. They've been pulling more support to Romagna ever since the Neuroi showed up. Because of that, things are somewhat slow everywhere else as I heard and incredibly hectic for us. Anyway, h..._

* * *

Welter was interrupted by a knock on the door. He got up, opened it and a soldier came in and presented two folded pieces of paper, "Lieutenant Welter, I've been given a message from Wing Commander Beamont to present to all officers."

Welter opened the first paper, which had written, **'Fuso transports, 100 km NE of Bird Island. Supplies due.'**

Welter gave a sigh, "This message is pointless to me, if Commander Beamont is saying that it's transports then it's none of my concern or anybody else's."

The soldier nodded in agreement.

Welter diverted his attention to the other piece, which had written on, **'Large contacts, moved near Gulf of Aden early morning, moving SE. Liberion Task Force 58 last reported off the coast of Oman. Possibility of Task Force 58 heading for Victoria. Confirm?'**

"Where's this from?" Welter asked.

"Radar station 270 from Aluula, Somalia. I just got it from the Communications office."

"Aluula...have you given this to Beamont?" Welter asked.

The soldier gave an uneasy shrug, "Uhh, no sir."

"Give this to Beamont and stop circulating the other one."

"Yes, sir." The soldier saluted Welter and headed for the door.

Welter called to the soldier before he left to ask Beamont for any allied fleets scheduled to be docked and for the information redirected to Aluula.

* * *

After a minute since the soldier came, Welter had continued reading Gertrud's letter when he remembered that there should be a squadron ready to fly. The second note made him doubt the safety of the base. He got his Karlsland military uniform buttoned up and intended to ask Beamont for permission.

Unfortunately, he didn't get near the door when something caught his eye. Welter moved to the window and brushed away the translucent drapes giving clear view of the harbour that had several ships moored and the hangars.

Above one of the hangars was a black spherical ball. When he realized it was a Neuroi drone, the sphere plunged into the hangar causing a delayed explosion. The shockwave from the explosion shattered the window but Welter instinctively jumped back, raised his hand, and protected himself with a circular, blue Witch shield. The fragments and shockwave stopped at Welter but blew everything else in the lounge back. Luckily, nobody else was in the room with him.

Welter quickly ran out, he needed to get to _it_.

He could hear the sounds of explosions and the air raid siren blaring. At the same time, he could see pilots and Witches running for the hangars, dreary-eyed and barely dressed.

After a bit of a run, he finally got to the hangar he wanted and went for a small safe at the edge of the hangar. He turned to the right combination and opened the safe revealing a palm-sized Neuroi core. He squeezed it slightly; he still had some reservations on using it but he had always been convinced to use it especially by novice pilots and new Witches he trained. Glowing a mix of red and blue, the core sank into his left hand.

Black metallic plates shot from his hand and began to cover his body completely. By the end, Welter was adorned in bulky black armor with red spots on the palms of his hands for weapons and two swept wings that came together on a thruster on his back. He also had thruster outlets on the armor's calves and feet meant for manoeuvrability and stability.

Flying out of the hangar, Welter stared at his holographic HUD that had a weapon sight in the middle. Screens overlapped the sight and showed magnified views of the battle. One screen showed the ships and planes in the harbour having little effect on the large type Neuroi but better luck on the drones. Another showed that the battle for the Witches had shifted quickly from the hangars to the fuel tanks and storage units.

Welter readied himself and moved to help the fighters and ships at the docks.

* * *

Among the burning husks of buildings and medical personnel tending to the wounded, Welter touched down at a clearing and sat on a large broken chunk of concrete. The core lifted from his hand and like how it came, the armour quickly retracted back to his left hand following the core's presence.

He took a breath and looked around at the devastation. The attack had lasted most of the morning. Welter began to think the Neuroi were after something here. He ruled himself out since if they were after him because of the suit, all the Neuroi would have swarmed him as soon as he took off. Close by, he saw Wing Commander Beamont's Hawker Typhoon landing. As soon as Beamont got out, he saw Welter and walked towards him.

Welter stood up and saluted him but Beamont motioned to him to be at ease. Beamont pointed at the core, "I see you used that."

"Yes, sir."

"It certainly saved the lives of those sailors on those ships, but Command still won't be happy that we let the Neuroi right through the door especially for this isolated place."

Welter nodded and asked, "How bad did we get it, sir."

Beamont sighed, "Terrible, the Neuroi destroyed most of the airbase and paid particular attention to our storage facilities. The runway has been damaged severely but the engineers are working on it now so those Fuso transports can land because of their fuel. Those Neuroi...they plotted a similar course to the transports to fool us. As for casualties...we still don't know."

Welter nodded again but became interested that the Neuroi were after the storage facilities. "Sir, the storage facilities, isn't that where we kept the rocket boosters for Striker units?"

"Yes. It seems the Neuroi wanted revenge for what the 501st did to them." Beamont shook his head, "They're always taking every advantage away from us."

Beamont changed to a more cheerful mood, "By the way Lieutenant, you did well out there. You protected those ships, I'm sure those sailors would be grateful. I'm giving you a battlefield promotion."

"Really, sir?" Welter smiled.

"Of course, despite the supposed black mark in Karlsland, you've had a distinguished record and its time Command rewards you for it. Being a flight instructor for those novice Witches and pilots should also certainly help with Command realizing that it's time for you to move up the chain."

Welter's smile faded a bit of being reminded of Karlsland, but Beamont continued, "I'm also being permanently transferred to Gallia as part of the liberation forces there but you already knew that."

Welter knew of transfer beforehand but asked, "Who will be commanding Victoria when you're gone then, sir?"

"Oh, that job is for you."

Welter was stunned, "What, sir? I'm just a Lieutenant."

Beamont smiled, "I told you that you were getting a promotion, didn't I?"

Welter nodded slowly.

"Thereby," Beamont went on, "Victoria is your responsibility now, Group Captain."

-1-

_A/N: Wow, haven't updated in a year, and the story's been out for two! Man, I'm slow._

_I hope that I can update this more often, but no promises. This is the second rewrite of this story, which should be the last one I do. Please R&R._


	2. Dynamo

**Disclaimer: All rights to the name "Strike Witches" belongs solely to Humikane Shimada, anything else belongs to their respective owners. I do not profit from writing this story whatsoever.**

-2-

The evening moonlight shone through the window as Wing Commander Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke was sitting in her chair shuffling through another mountain of paperwork when a knock came to her door.

"Come in." She said quietly as she was busy signing another paper. The knock came again with Minna telling the person to come in with a more pronounced voice.

The person who came in was a soldier with a telegram in his hand. He saluted her and gave the telegram. "It's from Command ma'am."

"Thank you." Minna replied. Once the soldier left, she unfolded the message.

* * *

_February 15, 1945_

_To: Wing Commander Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke (501st Joint Fighter Wing)_

_From: Allied High Command_

_Due to the attack against Victoria base at Seychelles on the morning of February 13, we have had to move important personnel to other bases of operations as the Victoria base is being rebuilt thereby, we are sending Group Captain Conrad Welter of the 82__nd__ Fighter Group to_ _the 501__st__ Joint Fighter Wing base of operations in Romanga. Group Captain Welter should arrive within a week._

* * *

Minna put down the telegram and frowned slightly at the whiff of nostalgia. _'Conrad...it's been a long time, ever since Dynamo.' _

Before the formation of the 501st, herself, Erica Hartmann, Gertrud Barkhorn and Conrad Welter were put together as a temporary squad during and before Dynamo. The fact that all of them came from Karlsland made them immediate friends and each of them constantly thought of taking back Karlsland from the Neuroi.

She remembered that Welter was an exceptional fighter with a strong natural ability as a pilot along with an enhanced precognitive ability that resulted from possessing magic, something that was extremely rare among males. Although, Welter was asked to use a Striker unit in order to increase his magic and use shields, Welter responded that a man wearing a Striker would look odd so he stuck by his Fw 190 fighter for the first years of the war without using a bit of magic.

His personality was at first incredibly overconfident and liked to rub his victories into people's faces, but after Karlsland, he became reserved and quiet. He had some instances of anger particularly against the Neuroi but maybe it was losing the Fatherland that made him that way.

Unfortunately, before Welter was transferred to Victoria after Dynamo, she and Welter didn't leave on the best of terms.

* * *

_After Operation Dynamo's success...or failure._

Minna stormed her way to Welter's office tailed by Gertrud and Erica.

"Minna, what do you plan on doing?" Gertrud asked.

"What do you think?" She hissed back.

Reaching Welter's office, she knocked, which sounded much more like banging, on the door.

"Come in." Welter called.

Minna swung the door open and approached his desk. "How could you?" She immediately said.

"I'm sorry?" Welter said sounding confused.

"Why won't you let me go to Gallia?" Raising her voice.

Welter seemed to sink in his seat, "Oh, that."

"Why won't you let me rescue civilians in Gallia?" She immediately said.

Welter looked up at her, "Minna, I know about _him_, you don't need to lie to me about your intentions for going there."

Minna was surprised for a second that he knew but then turned her head to Gertrud, who took a small step back.

She turned back to Welter, "What has Trude been tell-"

"She's told me nothing." Welter interrupted. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you go there alone especially since the Neuroi have a foothold there now."

"I won't be going alone; Trude and Erica will be with me." She tried to reassure him.

Welter looked at Erica and Gertrud. Erica, while having a vacant look, had a fear in her eyes that was incredibly rare for the top ace in the Karlsland Luftwaffe. Gertrud had a similar expression but it was a fear of Minna instead.

Welter shook his head, "Doesn't matter, I wouldn't risk any of your lives."

Minna was starting to lose her calm, "But, I can do it. Just give me cleara-"

Welter interrupted her again, "No, Minna. You're not the only one who's thought of going back. The Royal Britannia Navy sent two cruisers to Gallia to find any survivors along the coast. They lost radio contact with them and haven't been heard from since. I won't give you clearance to fly."

"But, I can do it!" She started to yell with tears coming down her eyes. "I can bring _him_ back!"

"Minna, you should probably guess he's already-"

"I don't care!" She interrupted him.

She shut her eyes to hide the tears but continued on yelling words she would soon regret,

"**I will bring **_**him**_** back but you...you're nothing but a coward who knows nothing about how it feels to lose someone**!"

A brief silence before she heard footsteps then a sharp pain across her cheek. She fell to the floor from the hit and opened her eyes to an infuriated Welter. He had slapped her that gave a shocked look from all three of them.

Welter picked her up and said in a calm but slight anger in his voice to her, "_I will not send anyone on a mission that is guaranteed to fail. I will not send anyone to their deaths. Is that clear?_"

Minna holding her cheek managed to mumble out a shaky, "Yes, sir".

Silence followed until it was broken by a knock on the door, Welter moved around her and opened the door.

"General Maloney." Welter said.

"Lieutenant, may I speak to you in private?"

Welter nodded at Maloney and looked back at the trio who were still shocked, "Erica, Trude...Minna, you're dismissed."

All three quickly left the room but before Minna was out, Welter put his hand on her shoulder and whispered to her, "If you really loved him, keep living for him."

The door was shut behind her and Minna began to cry uncontrollably.

* * *

Minna cringed at the memory.

It reminded her too much of the talk she had with Mio, how she didn't want her to continue flying with no shields.

Pushing out all the negative memories, Minna got up from her seat and walked towards the door with the telegram in her hand.

-2-


End file.
